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Provincial League
From BR Bullpen
Based in Quebec, the Provincial League was established in 1935. It had a checkered existence in and out of Organized Baseball. It was an affiliated league from 1940 to 1943 and 1950 to 1955. From 1935 to 1939, 1944 to 1949, and 1958 to 1971, the league was not a member of the National Association. The league operated as an Independent League in 1948 and 1949. From 1950 through 1955 they were listed as a class C operation.
Contents |
[edit] Cities Represented
[edit] 1948-1955
- Burlington, VT: Burlington A's 1955
- Drummondville, QC: Drummondville Cubs 1948-1952; Drummondville Royals 1953; Drummondville A's 1954
- Farnham, QC: Farnham Pirates 1948-1951
- Granby, QC: Granby Red Sox 1948-1951; Granby Phillies 1952-1953
- Quebec, QC: Quebec Braves 1951-1955
- Sherbrooke, QC: Sherbrooke Athlétiques 1948-1951; Sherbrooke Indians 1953-1955
- St. Hyacinthe, QC: St. Hyacinthe Saints 1948-1951; St. Hyacinthe A's 1952-1953
- St. Jean, QC: St. Jean Braves 1948-1951; St. Jean Canadians 1952-1955
- Thetford Mines, QC: Thetford Mines Mineurs 1953-1955
- Trois-Rivières, QC: Trois Rivieres Royals 1951; Trois Rivieres Yankees 1952-1953; Trois Rivieres Phillies 1954-1955
[edit] Teams and Stastics
[edit] 1948-1949 (I)
1948 Independent Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherbrooke Athlétiques | 61 | 37 | .632 | 0 | Gene Oliver / Roland Gladu |
| St. Jean Braves | 56 | 44 | .560 | 6 | Jean-Pierre Roy / Bobby Estalella |
| St. Hyacinthe Saints | 54 | 46 | .540 | 8 | Paul Martin |
| Granby Red Sox | 48 | 50 | .490 | 13 | Armand Proulx |
| Drummondville Cubs | 39 | 58 | .402 | 21.5 | Johnny Bezemes / Joe Tuminelli |
| Farnham | 36 | 59 | .379 | 23.5 | Lou Foreys / Dave Pope / Joe Crimmins |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connie Creedon | St. Hyacinthe | BA | .406 | Jean-Pierre Roy | St. Jean | W | 19 | |
| Roland Gladu | Sherbrooke | Hits | 116 | Eugene Nance | St. Hyacinthe | RBI | 98 | |
| Buzz Clarkson | St. Jean | HR | 29 |
1949 Independent Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drummondville Cubs | 63 | 34 | .650 | 0 | Max Lanier / Stan Breard |
| Granby Red Sox | 55 | 42 | .567 | 8 | Gene Oliver |
| Sherbrooke Athlétiques | 53 | 47 | .530 | 11.5 | Roland Gladu |
| St. Jean Braves | 45 | 53 | .459 | 18.5 | Don Savage / Red Hayworth |
| Farnham Black Sox | 43 | 55 | .439 | 20.5 | Vern Thoele |
| St. Hyacinthe Saints | 36 | 64 | .360 | 28.5 | Paul Martin / Del Friar |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Armour | Farnham | BA | .342 | Sal Maglie | Drummondville | W | 18 | |
| Silvio Garcia | Sherbrooke | Hits | 126 | Claro Duany | Sherbrooke | RBI | 99 | |
| Quincy Barbee | St. Jean | HR | 23 |
[edit] Teams and Statistics
[edit] 1950-1955 (C)
1950 C Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Jean Braves | 58 | 49 | .542 | 0 | 86,268 | Steve Mizerak |
| Sherbrooke Athlétiques | 57 | 51 | .528 | 1.5 | 95,053 | Roland Gladu |
| Farnham Pirates | 55 | 52 | .514 | 3 | 62,151 | Packy Rogers |
| Drummondville Cubs | 53 | 52 | .505 | 4 | 110,350 | Fido Murphy / Jack White / Breard |
| St. Hyacinthe Saints | 52 | 55 | .486 | 6 | 89,521 | Jay Kirke |
| Granby Red Sox | 45 | 61 | .425 | 12.5 | 82,512 | Bob Latshaw / Bud Kimball |
Finals: St. Jean 4 games, Sherbrooke 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silvio Garcia | Sherbrooke | BA | .365 | Louis Shapiro | Sherbrooke | W | 18 | |
| Silvio Garcia | Sherbrooke | Hits | 150 | Fred Luciano | Drummondville | SO | 140 | |
| Joe Scott | Farnham | Runs | 89 | Ruben Gomez | St. Jean | SO | 140 | |
| Silvio Garcia | Sherbrooke | RBI | 116 | Melvin Nee | St. Hyacinthe | ERA | 1.69 | |
| Silvio Garcia | Sherbrooke | HR | 21 |
1951 C Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherbrooke Athlétiques | 73 | 50 | .593 | 0 | 100,933 | Roland Gladu |
| Granby Red Sox | 74 | 51 | .592 | 0 | 76,823 | Oscar Major / Bud Kimball / Vernon Thoele |
| Drummondville Cubs | 71 | 49 | .591 | .5 | 87,615 | Stanislaus Breard |
| Quebec Braves | 65 | 58 | .528 | 8 | 103,712 | George McQuinn |
| St. Hyacinthe Saints | 55 | 67 | .451 | 17.5 | 57,476 | Bull Hamons / Hank Camelli |
| St. Jean Braves | 52 | 68 | .423 | 19.5 | 48,500 | Steve Mizerak |
| Farnham Pirates | 52 | 71 | .423 | 21 | 33,519 | Sam Bankhead |
| Trois Rivieres Royals | 48 | 76 | .387 | 25.5 | 69,139 | Al Gardella / Del Bissonette |
Finals: Sherbrooke 4 games, Quebec 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Montiero | Granby | BA | .353 | John Andre | Granby | W | 20 | |
| Johnny Davis | Drummondville | Runs | 106 | Connie Johnson | St. Hyacinthe | SO | 172 | |
| Joseph Montiero | Granby | Hits | 171 | Carl Willey | Quebec | ERA | 1.95 | |
| Frank Gravino | St. Jean | RBI | 123 | Frank Gravino | St. Jean | HR | 42 |
1952 C Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Hyacinthe A's | 79 | 49 | .617 | 0 | 60,147 | John Sosh |
| Quebec Braves | 78 | 51 | .605 | 1.5 | 111,800 | George McQuinn |
| St. Jean Canadians | 63 | 66 | .488 | 16.5 | 61,899 | Gordon Maltzberger |
| Trois Rivieres Yankees | 59 | 68 | .465 | 19.5 | 85,526 | Frank Novosel |
| Drummondville Cubs | 57 | 68 | .456 | 20.5 | 40,192 | Herb Crompton |
| Granby Phillies | 45 | 79 | .363 | 32 | 31,554 | Al Barillari |
Finals: Quebec 4 games, St. Hyacinthe 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Pinkston | St. Hyacinthe | BA | .360 | John Wingo | Trois Rivieres | W | 16 | |
| Hector Lopez | St. Hyacinthe | Runs | 115 | Stan Wotychowicz | St. Hyacinthe | W | 16 | |
| Fred Pacitto | Trois Rivieres | Hits | 176 | Thomas Smith | Drummondville | W | 16 | |
| Al Pinkston | St. Hyacinthe | RBI | 121 | Bob Trice | St. Hyacinthe | W | 16 | |
| Al Pinkston | St. Hyacinthe | HR | 30 | Robert Long | St. Jean | SO | 179 | |
| Marco Mainini | Trois Rivieres | ERA | 2.61 |
1953 C Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherbrooke Indians | 84 | 41 | .672 | 0 | 58,288 | Pinky May |
| Granby Phillies | 72 | 52 | .581 | 11.5 | 46,935 | Al Barillari |
| Quebec Braves | 71 | 52 | .577 | 12 | 115,943 | George McQuinn |
| Thetford Mines Mineurs | 59 | 65 | .476 | 24.5 | 72,530 | Bill Krueger (minors) |
| Trois Rivieres Yankees | 58 | 65 | .472 | 25 | 73,982 | Frank Novosel |
| St. Jean Canadians | 57 | 65 | .467 | 25.5 | 39,607 | George Genovese |
| St. Hyacinthe A's | 49 | 73 | .402 | 33.5 | 30,501 | John Sosh / Joe Rullo |
| Drummondville Royals | 42 | 79 | .347 | 40 | 35,202 | Al Gionfriddo / Joseph Oliffe |
Finals: Quebec 4 games, Granby 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Waters | Sherbrooke | BA | .348 | William Diemer | Thetford Mines | W | 20 | |
| David Mann | Thetford Mines | Runs | 114 | Michael Munsinger | St. Hyacinthe | W | 20 | |
| Fred Waters | Sherbrooke | Hits | 182 | Marco Mainini | Trois Rivieres | SO | 194 | |
| John Werner | Quebec | RBI | 118 | Alfred Dumouchelle | Quebec | ERA | 2.29 | |
| Robert Diers | Sherbrooke | HR | 26 |
1954 C Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec Braves | 80 | 48 | .625 | 0 | 105,269 | George McQuinn |
| Sherbrooke Indians | 76 | 53 | .589 | 4.5 | 44,541 | Mark Wylie |
| Trois Rivieres Phillies | 73 | 57 | .562 | 8 | 64,902 | Al Barillari / George Stirnweiss |
| Drummondville A's | 60 | 69 | .465 | 20.5 | 36,302 | Hank Biasatti |
| St. Jean Canadians | 53 | 73 | .421 | 26 | 35,222 | George DeTore / Steve Mizerak |
| Thetford Mines Mineurs | 43 | 85 | .336 | 37 | 47,334 | Bill Krueger (minors) |
Finals: Quebec 4 games, Drummondville 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Fandozzi | Quebec | BA | .331 | John Luthern | Sherbrooke | W | 20 | |
| Michael Fandozzi | Quebec | Runs | 110 | Matt Peoplis | Quebec | SO | 220 | |
| Michael Fandozzi | Quebec | Hits | 173 | Matt Peoplis | Quebec | ERA | 2.34 | |
| Bill Williamson | Sherbrooke | RBI | 118 | William Stuifbergen | Drummondville | RBI | 118 | |
| Bill Williamson | Sherbrooke | HR | 27 |
1955 C Provincial League
President: Albert Molini
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Jean Canadians | 86 | 44 | .662 | 0 | 45,000 | Steve Mizerak / Fred Luciano |
| Quebec Braves | 81 | 49 | .623 | 5 | 101,695 | Sibby Sisti |
| Burlington A's | 65 | 64 | .504 | 20.5 | 51,267 | Vincent Plumbo |
| Trois Rivieres Phillies | 62 | 68 | .477 | 24 | 47,873 | Al Barillari |
| Sherbrooke Indians | 53 | 76 | .411 | 32.5 | 38,509 | Edgar Hartness |
| Thetford Mines Mineurs | 42 | 88 | .323 | 44 | 35,556 | Barney Lutz |
Finals: Quebec 4 games, Burlington 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Robertson | Quebec | BA | .342 | Jack Hale | Burlington | W | 17 | |
| Bill Causion | St. Jean | Runs | 105 | Dean Lakatosh | St. Jean | W | 17 | |
| Bill Robertson | Quebec | Hits | 173 | Richard Mitchener | Sherbrooke | So | 1.71 | |
| Bill Robertson | Quebec | RBI | 108 | Ramon Salgado | St. Jean | ERA | 2.21 | |
| Bill Causion | St. Jean | HR | 24 |
[edit] History of Black Players in the League
Black players had an easier time playing ball in Quebec as they faced less discrimination, and as the Provinial League was not yet recognized by Major League Baseball (in the early years at least), it had no restrictions on hiring players of color. The first black player to play in the Provincial League was Alfred Wilson who was a pitcher for Granby in 1935. Unfortunately, once the League was recognized by the Majors, Black players were forced to retire from the League. Attitudes changed after the Second World War, when colored players were again allowed to join the Provincial League.
With the demise of the Negro Leagues, several players who were not of Major League quality or were too old to be deemed prospects were scooped up by the Provincial League and other Canadian circuits. Notably, the Saints from Ste-Hyacinthe had several Black players in the 1950's.
[edit] Sources
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second Edition.
